


The Moment I See You Smile

by ezekiels



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 08:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ezekiels/pseuds/ezekiels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the final battle with Modred, Gwen rushes into the courtyard to see if Arthur is still alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moment I See You Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a long ago birthday present for brightporcelain on lj.

By dawn, the kingdom had been brought to its knees. Red light bled from the rising sun, turning the sky as red as the battlefield. The battlefield itself, once lush and beautiful, was devoid of flowers and grass. All that was left were the fallen bodies of both armies and their blood, starlet in the morning light, ran like streams across the muddy earth.

From up on Camelot’s battlements, Gwen saw it all. Her heart hammered inside of her chest at the sight, terrified even though she knew Arthur was not among them. He was deep in the Darkling Woods with fifty men, searching Mordred out. But that did not mean that he too had not been a victim of this dreadful, pointless war.

“We must go back inside,” Morgana said, placing a hand on Gwen’s shoulder.

Gwen shook her head, tears spilling free from her eyes to fall down her dark cheeks. “No.”

“Gwen,” Morgana said gently. “It is not safe up here.”

“I will not leave until I see him,” Gwen said, firm despite her tears.

Before Morgana could say anything in reply, a voice rang out through the castle.

"Guinevere!"

The sound of Arthur's voice made Gwen turn swiftly around. In the courtyard below, she could see seven men –so small a number compared to the fifty men who had embarked with Arthur a week ago.

It might not be him, Gwen told herself. Mordred and his fellow sorcerers had learnt to mimic the voices of others. But, if it was Arthur, he could be hurt and needing her help.

Gwen took off running, heading for the stairs that would lead her down into the courtyard.

"Gwen!" Morgana called desperately after her, giving chase.

Gwen ignored Morgana, running down the stairs faster than she had thought possible. She was in such a hurry that she tripped on her gown and fell hard against the stone wall of the winding stairs. Taking a deep breath, she forced the pain in her shoulder into the back of her mind and pushed herself away from the wall. Gathering up the skirt of her dress, she took off running once more. She ran down deserted corridor and stairs until, finally, she reached the steps that lead down into the courtyard.

"Arthur!" Gwen shouted, slowing to a stop at the foot of the stairs.

The small band of knights turned to her.

She saw familiar faces amongst them: Lancelot and Percival, Merlin and Leon. A few of the knights she did not recognize and some, like her brother Elyan, she took several moments to recognize at all. She could not, however, see Arthur.

“Gwen!” Morgana shouted from the top of the stairs.

Gwen turned, looking up at Morgana who had frozen at the top of the stairs. Morgana’s hands trembled over her lips as she stared at the knights, her eyes glistening with tears. “Merlin,” Morgana gasped, not moving from her spot.

Gwen turned back to the group of knights to see Merlin looking at Morgana, transfixed. “Morgana?” he asked, his voice trembling with hope.

Morgana lowered her trembling hand, smiling, a laugh escaping her lips.

A smile spread across his face and Merlin ran from the group of knights towards the stairs. He ran straight past Gwen and straight past the fallen bodies littering the courtyard until he reached the top of the stairs. Morgana and Merlin threw their arms around each other and, smiling with relief and joy, kissed.

“Guinevere?”

Gwen looked away from her two embracing friends to see Arthur step out from behind the group of knights.

Arthur did not look as he had the last time she had seen him. His long red cloak was gone and his armour, once the envy of every knight, looked far more battered than that of even Merlin’s. His face and body were covered with smears of blood and mud but he himself seemed to have suffered little more than a few scrapes and bruises. His exhaustion, like the other knights, was evident in the way he held himself and the glassiness to his eyes.

But he was alive.

"Arthur," she gasped, relief flooding through her.

Arthur’s exhaustion melted away into a broad, relieved smile.

It was the most beautiful smile Gwen had ever seen.


End file.
